Will there be any change in MVC membership in next 5 years?

[DoubleJayAlum]

Bradley, assuming they get their financial situation trending upward, will be the next team to leave the MVC. It may not be in the next 5 years, but within the next ten.

Two things about expansion that we've learned recently:

1) Football leagues are not going to add non-football schools. For the most part, football tends to be worth a lot more money when it comes to TV contracts and football schools don't want to share money with non FB schools. And yes, the MWC is a football conference.

2) The Big East will not add any public schools. It is a league driven by school presidents, as opposed to athletic directors, and they like the ability to make decisions in secrecy (being able to avoid freedom of information act requests and state boards of trustees that leak sensitive data like a sieve).

I expect the Big East to add schools, but it may not be for several years and will probably come when the BCS schools break away. Any private schools want to come aboard should start improving programs and facilities immediately. When BCS conferences break away and start their own basketball tourney, the Big East will be included.

I also think the day will come when some MVC schools are going to have to decide if it is worthwhile to field football programs.

[rlh04d]

A year ago, no one would have said the Big East would split off. Nor would they have said that a basketball only conference would be able to get a television deal that would pay more than some FBS football conferences.

Saying "what we've learned recently" and listing off things you're assuming because they haven't happened in the last year or two is ignorant.

I agree with the Asian Sensation's points. I do, however, think an equal percentage chance should be given to the entire NCAA system blowing up in the next five years behind the drive by BCS conferences to split off for football. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the NCAA loses the lawsuit brought on by players. Five years from now, we might have a status quo that is very different from what we're looking at now. I have no idea if that will effect the MVC at all.

[havoc]

If you want to talk ignorance, it is this.

A year ago, no one would have said the Big East would split off.

http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/m ... han_later/

http://collegesportsinfo.com/2011/09/19 ... ing-split/

http://www.vuhoops.com/2012/05/08/trang ... says-stay/

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/colle ... e-1.953667

[DoubleJayAlum]

If you want to talk ignorance, it is this.

A year ago, no one would have said the Big East would split off.

http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/m ... han_later/

http://collegesportsinfo.com/2011/09/19 ... ing-split/

http://www.vuhoops.com/2012/05/08/trang ... says-stay/

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/colle ... e-1.953667

Ain't that the truth. I'm pretty sure we had a thread here about it too.

I guess to rlh04d, if the Florida St fanbase isn't talking about something, it didn't happen.

[TheAsianSensation]

I've been saying the Big East will split off in a year for the past 8 years

That was the least surprising development in the history of history. What was a surprise was:
a) their willingness to stretch geographically to Omaha, and
b) Butler threw off everyone's plans by becoming mega-relevant

No question in my mind that Butler's 2 big tournament runs cost St Louis a spot (albeit probably temporary).

I don't think Bradley will leave next for one big reason: market. It really, really, really sucks. Really sucks. Peoria isn't relevant enough, and they're bookended by Chicago to the north and St Louis to the south. If you're the Big East, you're obviously going with DePaul and St Louis and don't need a team in between. If you're the A-10, you can grab Loyola to be in Chicago directly instead of Bradley and tangentially.

Of course, Bradley becoming basketball-relevant changes everything, and I think we're about 2 years out from that, IMO. We just need the rest of the NCAA to keep their pants on until then.

I have no idea how an NCAA split would look like. None. There's so many variables now. The real variable is going to be a legal one, in if they can separate football from the other sports and the whole pay for play thing.

[agrinut]

I've been saying the Big East will split off in a year for the past 8 years

That was the least surprising development in the history of history. What was a surprise was:
a) their willingness to stretch geographically to Omaha, and
b) Butler threw off everyone's plans by becoming mega-relevant

No question in my mind that Butler's 2 big tournament runs cost St Louis a spot (albeit probably temporary).

I don't think Bradley will leave next for one big reason: market. It really, really, really sucks. Really sucks. Peoria isn't relevant enough, and they're bookended by Chicago to the north and St Louis to the south. If you're the Big East, you're obviously going with DePaul and St Louis and don't need a team in between. If you're the A-10, you can grab Loyola to be in Chicago directly instead of Bradley and tangentially.

Of course, Bradley becoming basketball-relevant changes everything, and I think we're about 2 years out from that, IMO. We just need the rest of the NCAA to keep their pants on until then.

I have no idea how an NCAA split would look like. None. There's so many variables now. The real variable is going to be a legal one, in if they can separate football from the other sports and the whole pay for play thing.

I was gonna say that I have heard "Catholic League" being discussed for the better part of a Decade.

[Redbird23]

It's been rumored that it's been going to happen for around five years.

[DoubleJayAlum]

I've been saying the Big East will split off in a year for the past 8 years .

Everybody has been talking about it for a long, long time. Everybody but rlh and his inner circle apparently.

I don't think Bradley will leave next for one big reason: market. It really, really, really sucks. Really sucks. Peoria isn't relevant enough, and they're bookended by Chicago to the north and St Louis to the south. If you're the Big East, you're obviously going with DePaul and St Louis and don't need a team in between. If you're the A-10, you can grab Loyola to be in Chicago directly instead of Bradley and tangentially.

Of course, Bradley becoming basketball-relevant changes everything, and I think we're about 2 years out from that, IMO. We just need the rest of the NCAA to keep their pants on until then.

I honestly think that Bradley is in a better position than you do. Obviously, Bradley needs to improve its program and get its attendance numbers back up (I admit that I was shocked when I saw the figures from last year).

Bradley would serve as a perfect travel partner to a Chicago school. It is private, has a solid history and, until last year at least, always had tremendous fan support. It is also a lot closer to the east coast than the other MVC schools that may be considered candidates. Frankly, if Bradley were to get it all going again, I would prefer them in the Big East over a program like Dayton (the Big East isn't adding public schools as it would completely change the way the presidents have carried out business so far). I fully expect SLU to fall back to its more traditional norm now that Majerus and his recruits are gone or almost gone, so who knows what will be the state of affairs in a few years.

[Dean Wormer]

I would prefer them in the Big East over a program like Dayton (the Big East isn't adding public schools as it would completely change the way the presidents have carried out business so far). I fully expect SLU to fall back to its more traditional norm now that Majerus and his recruits are gone or almost gone, so who knows what will be the state of affairs in a few years.

Dayton isn't public, they are Catholic.

I'm not a UD fan, but they draw better, and have a larger market than Bradley. Honestly, the markets will probably keep both out, but I would have to think Dayton would get a call before Bradley.

As far as SLU, the market alone will always have them in consideration. Majerus is indeed gone, but Crews had a nice program going at Evansville for several years. You can't judge the West Point record for the obvious reasons.

[TheAsianSensation]

I honestly think that Bradley is in a better position than you do. Obviously, Bradley needs to improve its program and get its attendance numbers back up (I admit that I was shocked when I saw the figures from last year).

Bradley would serve as a perfect travel partner to a Chicago school. It is private, has a solid history and, until last year at least, always had tremendous fan support. It is also a lot closer to the east coast than the other MVC schools that may be considered candidates. Frankly, if Bradley were to get it all going again, I would prefer them in the Big East over a program like Dayton (the Big East isn't adding public schools as it would completely change the way the presidents have carried out business so far). I fully expect SLU to fall back to its more traditional norm now that Majerus and his recruits are gone or almost gone, so who knows what will be the state of affairs in a few years.

The good thing is that attendance is great when Bradley is good, so they'd fit in the Big East on that front. However, I could see FOX actively work against the addition of them down the road specifically because of market. They are going to war with ESPN and they can't afford to use a precious expansion spot on the Peoria market. I think the BEast's hands are actually tied a bit with signing on with FOX - it's going to have a big role in realignment going forward.

Now obviously, final four runs could wipe all that out as irrelevant, but standard success (consistent tourney appearances, sweet 16s) might not be enough. Also, if our good friends in Omaha lean on the rest of the league hard enough, they can vouch for us but it would take some time.

We'll see about St Louis. They've got a chance now to lord over a weakened A-10 - they need to run off some consecutive tourney appearances, starting now.